John McEnroe Calls Australian Tennis Bad Boy Nick Kyrgios ‘Most Talented Newcomer In Last 10 Years’: OutKick Exclusive

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Nick Kyrgios is looked at as the modern-day bad boy of tennis, but that original title belongs to John McEnroe. Given that Kyrgios wears every ounce of his emotions on his sleeve just like he did during his playing days, McEnroe understands how the young Aussie operates and the outside noise he has to constantly deal with.

While most focus on the on-court outbursts and sternness with the media as the calling cards for Kyrgios, there is no denying that he's one of the most entertaining players in the game. 

That is the same exact situation McEnroe found himself in throughout his career, receiving scrutiny from various corners of the tennis world all while entertaining the masses before ending his career with seven Grand Slam singles titles.

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During an exclusive interview with OutKick, the tennis legend shared his opinion on Kyrgios. McEnroe explained that he brings more eyes to the sport and that if he can fully commit himself over the next couple of years it would be a huge win for tennis.

John McEnroe Has Incredibly High Praise For Nick Kyrgios

"Nick has brought interest to the sport for people that wouldn't normally watch it, and that's sort of what you're hoping for," McEnroe explained. "Traditionalists are going to have their opinions, as they did about me. He's one of the most talented, probably the most talented player that's come out in the last 10 years. He's had to deal with these all-time legends like Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, that's made it tough."

"He's had trouble dealing with expectations at times, we all have that fear of failure, but it's how you handle it. It feels like he's finally coming to grips with how to go out there and compete on a consistent level. When he does that, to me he's going to be one of the top couple of people in the world."

"It would really be helpful for the sport if he really dug in mentally. If he could do that for a couple of years it would be incredible for tennis."

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

It certainly seems like Kyrgios has dug in mentally over the last few months. After reaching the Wimbledon final, the 27-year-old went on to win the Washington Open less than a month later.

Eyes will undoubtedly be on Kyrgios throughout the upcoming U.S. Open as he'll be among the favorites to win what would be his first Grand Slam singles title.

Here's the full interview:

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.